This invention relates generally to an endgate for a motor vehicle, and, more particularly, to an endgate and hinge assembly that allows the endgate to swing alternately about a lateral axis and an upright axis.
The tailgate at the back of a wagon, truck, station wagon, etc., is usually hinged along a lateral axis at the bottom of the tailgate to pivot downward for convenience in loading or unloading cargo. A door at the back of a vehicle hinged along a lateral axis at the top to open upward is often referred to as a hatch or lift gate. In certain cases it is helpful and preferred that the vehicle has an endgate that can swing like a door about a vertical axis to facilitate access to the cargo area. A more recent need exists in the automotive industry for a hinge assembly that supports an endgate such that the gate can swing both upward and downward about a horizontal axis and like a door about a vertical axis at the option of the user.